I paid approx. $10,000 and went wholesale. Got a 2.00 center stone (VS quality), E color, from a diamond broker in LA (no tax) with another .75 in side stones. It was my second marriage so I had to go better. ... still together 9 yrs later

Any info on the specific broker you used or how to get in touch with a broker? Going to LA in a couple of months, might want to look at some diamonds.

I went to the aunt of a good friend of mine in LA's diamond district. Got a quality (great color, couple small inclusions) .91 carat solitaire stone in white gold for $1650. My fiancee wanted something simple, would have been pissed if I had spent more than 2 grand, and loves it.

I spent a lot for her diamond but I absolutely got the most for my money. I was careful to research the market and ensure that I got the most diamond for the money. After going to a lot of the normal retail stores - Tiffany's, De Beers, leading local jewelry stores, as well as the San Francisco Diamond center and even Blue-nile online, I settled on a well respected wholesaler in the nob hill district of San Francisco. People I know who don't need to worry about money use him. I found that he was able to get me a diamond at about 60% of the price of retail. If I had bought my ring at Tiffany it would have easily been double the price and maybe more. In the end, I was able to get a GIA certified and inscribed princess cut diamond with the following specs: 2.2 Carat, F grade color, VS2 grade clarity, and with table size and depth in almost perfect balance, enabling maximized sparkle (this is an important detail to look for in a diamond, as it increases its presence, enabling even a smaller diamond to look bigger.)

My advice to anyone looking for an engagement ring is, don't be lazy and just go into a store and drop the money because you can get a lot more for your budget if you are judicious and thoughtful about it. Start early, do your homework, take your time, and don't make impulse decisions. Also, use blue-nile to bargain your price down. They make a great iPhone app that can save you thousands when bargaining.

Tiffany's is a complete rip off. if i had bought one there with the same clarity, colour and carat i would have paid $25k not $5k.

in the end my fiancee was happy with the size of the diamond than she would have been with the Tiffany's name.

I was less than impressed with Tiffany's inventory as well. With all the cut, carat, clarity, and colour parameters equal, most of their diamonds seem to be on the lower end of the quality scale in terms of table/depth proportions, crown/pavillion angles, position/type of inclusions, etc. My guess is that getting the higher quality diamonds would eat too much into their already inflated margins.